Demountable building



Jan. 28, 1964 E. w. MARTIN DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 7, 1960 INVENTOR ELMER W- MART/N m nu/f A Jan. 28, 1964 Filed Nov.7. 1960 E. W. MARTIN DEMOUNTABLE BUILDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORELMER YV- MART/IV r/we: m!

United States My invention relates to improvements in demountablebuildings.

The objects of the invention are to provide an extremely economicalprefabricated building which may be erected with ease and speed andwithout the use of conventional framework or special tools andequipment.

Other objects of the invention are to interconnect the several buildingparts so that they cannot become dislodged during the life of thebuilding but to ensure that structure can be speedily erected ordismantled for shipment to another site.

A still further object is to provide simple and effective means forweatherproofing of the building.

Referring to the drawings in which the views are of several differentscales FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view, partly broken away.

FIGURE. 3 is a perspective view showing the method of joining the floorgrid board-s.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the building.

(FIGURE 5 is a sectional plan view of the abutting side edges of thewall panels.

FIGURE 6 is a similar view of an alternate form of wall spine.

*FIGURE 7 is section of side edges of the roof panels.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section of the roof clamping member.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modified wall panel andadjoining parts.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is designed to be erecteddirectly on the surface of the ground although a concrete or otherfoundation may be used if desired. When the several prefabricated partsare assembled at the site they form a polygonal building 10 of the typeshown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The building lit has a base made up of boards 11 which are providedalong one edge only with suitably spaced notches 12. By fitting thenotched portions of the boards together in the manner shown in FIGURE 3to form half lap joints, a floor grid 14 is provided in which spaces 15are defined. The spaces 15 are filled with suitable insulating material16 and the entire sub-flooring is covered by floor panels 17.

The panels 17, preferably of a relatively thick plywood, aresubstantially triangular in form and have side edges 18 and butt ends 19which are cut as shown at 19A and 1913 in FIGURE 2 only. The cut buttedges 19A and 19B are of equal length and the contained angle betweenthem is such that when placed upon the base the panels 17 assemble toform a regular polygon the length of the sides of which is twice that ofa cut edge (19A, 1913), the corners of which are central of the floorpanels, being at the junction of the cut edges aforesaid, and the numberof sides of which correspond to the number of wall panels, as laterdescribed. The edges 18 are provided with grooves 18A and when theflooring is laid the panels are interconnected by metal splines 1813which are received in said grooves.

Mounted on the floor panels 17 so as to slightly overhang their bevelledbutt ends 19, is a sill 20 consisting of a plurality of wood lengths 21.Each length 2.1 is posi tioned on the floor panels so that its centre isaligned with ate nt Patented Jan. 28, 1964 the abutting side edges oftwo adjoining panels. The ends of the lengths, which meet at the centreof the panels, are suitably bevelled to form a polygon, as are theabutting edges of the several wall parts to be hereinafter mentioned.

The lengths 21 are connected to the two underlapping panels by bolts 21Awhich extend through the top surface 22. of said lengths adjacent theends thereof. Thus the floor panels and the sill lengths are linkedtogether to form a continuous unitary structure which extends around thepolygonal building.

The top surface 22 of each sill length slopes upwardly to alongitudinally extending groove 23 and seated in said groove is arectangular wall panel 25, also of thick plywood and having side edges26 which are provided with narrow grooves 27 as shown in FIGURE 5. Theadjoining wall panels are keyed together by a flat spline 28 which maybe in the form of a metal strip or the like. Alternatively V-shapedgrooves 27A may be formed in the side edges 26 as shown in FIGURE 6 andfitted to said grooves is a cylindrical spline 23A of hardwood or thelike.

Each wall panel 25 has a narrow groove 30 extending across its outerface and disposed at an angle thereto. As shown in FIGURE 4, a metalflashing strip 31 is inserted into the groove 3d of each panel so as tobear upon the top surface 22 of the adjoining sill length 21 and when sopositioned the strips keep moisture from entering the grooves 23.

The building 10 has a conical roof 34- consisting of a. number oftriangular plywood panels 35. Each wall panel 25 is bevelled on itsupper edge as at 36 to receive one of the roof panels and adjacent saidedge both the wall and roof panels are provided with narrow grooves 37.A diagonally extending metal brace 3? is fitted to the grooves 37 so asto lock the two panels against displacement and to prevent moisture fromreaching the interiors of the building between the panels.

As shown in FIGURE 7 the abutting side edges 40 of the roof panels areprovided with triangular recesses 41 which extend the entire length ofthe panels. Each recess 41 has an inner side edge 42 which is alignedwith a groove 43 and an outer side edge 44. The complementary recessesof adjoining panels house a strip of galvanized angle which forms agutter 46. The gutters are seated on the edges 42 of the recesess andextend into the grooves 43 so as to serve as splines which lock theseveral panels together.

The inner ends or tips 48 of the roof panels, FIGURE 8 are truncated asindicated by the numeral 48A to pro vide a small central polygonalopening. The truncated ends, are received in a clamping member 49consisting of a lower disc 56 and an upper disc 5-1 which are securedtogether by means of a bolt 52. A conical cap 53 of flashing materialmay be fitted to the disc 51 so as to cover the clamped tips of the roofpanels and seal this portion of the roof against the entrance ofmoisture.

In FIGURES 4 and 5 it is shown that the adjoining wall panels 25 arefitted with a plate 55 which conforms to the angular disposition of thepanels and extending from said plate is a projecting bracket 56. A cable58 encircles the building it) and is seated in the brackets 56. The ends59 of the cable are fitted with a turnbuckle 6t) and by tightening thisfitting the wall panels are securely bound together. It will be notedthat the several parts of the building are interlocked in such a waythat when the cable 58 is tightened said pants are bound together muchin the manner of a length of wood stave pipe or a barrel.

in the modification of the invention shown in FIGURE 9 the building iserected on a concrete floor slab and the sill 66 is laid thereon tosupport the polygonal wall 67. The wall 67 is made up of hollow panels67A which are connected together by splines 28 in the manner previouslydescribed. The wall panels are rebated as at 68 to receive the angularlycut ends 69 of 1e roof panels '70. The roof panels of the modifiedbuilding are also hollow and are splined and clamped together as before.

The hollow wall and roof panels may enclose insulating material 72 whichmay be aluminum foil or other suitable material. -It has been found thata building constructed and insulated in this manner will provide warmaccommodation even in the most inclement weather.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

A demountable building of polygonal shape, having a base, and includingthe following elements cooperating to form a unitary structure,

(:1) upon the base a floor composed of a number of identical generallytriangular panels of equal size each panel having side edges and buttedges, the panels assembled upon the base with their apiccs inwards andside edges contiguous, the butt edges cut to define a projectioncentrally of each panel, the butt edges being disposed perpendicularlyto adjacent side edges so that the assembly forms a regular polygon thecorners of which are defined by said projections and being central ofthe floor panels at the junction of the cut butt edges aforesaid,

(b) upon each edge of the floor polygon a sill member extending fromprojection to projection of two adjacent panels, the sill membersforming a unitary continuous sill at the periphery of the polygon, boltmeans securing each sill member to two adjoining floor panels, each saidsill having an upper surface, a groove in the upper surface extendingthe full length of the sill member,

(a) a wall comprising panels of equal size and shape in number equal tothe number of sides of the floor polygon, each wall panel having top andbottom edges and side edges bevelled so that adjacent edges shall besuperficially contiguous, corresponding grooves in each side edgereceiving a spline interconnecting adjacent wall panels, a cableencircling the wall and means to tighten the cable,

(d) a roof supported upon the wall, the roof including identicalgenerally triangular panels equal in number to the number of wall panelsaforesaid, each roof panel having side edges and butt edges, the panelsassembled with their tips inwards and their side edges contiguous, thetips of the roof panels truncated to form a small central opening, aclamping member having a lower disc and an upper disc, bolt meanssecuring the discs together, a diagonally extending brace securing eachroof panel to a supporting wall panel at the top edge thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 53,162McVay Mar. 13, 1866 187,740 Waters Feb. 27, 1877 832,290 Brown Oct. 2,1906 1,116,654 Wenzelmann Nov. 10, 1914 1,416,821 Heath May 23, 19221,533,905 Stautfer et al Apr. 14, 1925 2,000,897 Alcott May 14, 19352,074,592 Rowell Mar. 23, 1937 2,256,050 Hansen Sept. 16, 1941 2,329,041Ford Sept. 7, 1943 2,358,388 Everitt Sept. 19, 1944 2,358,704 GoudySept. 19, 1944 2,440,449 Raemer Apr. 27, 1948 2,501,951 Lintz Mar. 28,1950 2,504,213 Meyer Apr. 18, 1950 2,644,204 Davis July 7, 19533,068,534 Hu Dec. 18, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 404,772 France Oct. 28, 1909275,107 Great Britain Aug. 4, 1927 130,476 Austria June 15, 1932 151,478Austria June 15, 1937 937,302 France Mar. 8, 1948 1,008,017 France Feb.13, 1952 571,061 Canada Feb. 24, 1959

